Smith Rock State Park, Oregon May 16, 2026

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon

What do you call a place where the rocks do the climbing, and humans try to keep up? Welcome to Smith Rock State Park in Oregon, where cliffs rise fast, and excuses fall faster. It sits inside the 26-mile-long Crooked River Caldera, shaped by multiple volcanic eruptions. Its welded tuff cliffs are made from compressed volcanic ash that cooled under pressure. The Crooked River carved the canyon, while formations like the Spire rise up to 700 feet.

© Alex Ratson/Getty Images

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